PEPPERS AND TOMATOES WITH CHEESE

This is my recipe, something I enjoy preparing in summer. I love peppers and tomatoes, here we still have good old seeds, which are a real treasure, you can't find that good vegetables and fruits anywhere in the world! This is my way of cooking peppers and tomatoes together, spiced with some onion and garlic.

Ingredients:
  • 7-8 green or red chopped peppers
  • 3 average size chopped tomatoes
  • 1 smaller chopped onion
  • 1 chopped head garlic
  • 2-3 eggs 
  • grated cheese
  • olive oil, salt to taste
Preparation:
  1. Put chopped peppers to fry on hot olive oil. Cover with lid and leave peppers to fry until they start to become soft.

  2. Add chopped tomatoes and chopped onion and garlic.
  3. Leave closed to fry until everything is finely cooked.
  4. Add salt, then add mixed eggs and add grated cheese on top. Cover the lid again and leave for 2-3 minutes to cook.
Enjoy!

7 HEATLHY THINGS WE SHOUDN'T THROW AWAY


Certain portions of fruit and vegetables need to be cleaned up regularly. Although in most cases it isn't a mistake, there are several examples where 99 % of people throw away some parts which however, are very valuable. Check whether you are making any of these mistakes.

Pumkin seeds

These seeds are usually the first thing we clean when we cut a pumpkin, but seeds are full of protein, fiber, vitamin E and magnesium. To make them delicious, bake in the oven and pour with olive oil.

Onion peel

This crunchy shell is rich in quercetin, a compound that lowers blood pressure and helps maintain the immune system. You can put it in a stew or goulash, and take out before serving.

Watermelon rind

This rind is rich in the amino acid citrulline, which can improve your bloodstream. Put watermelon rind cork in a solid, better quality blender along with the red part of the watermelon, add strawberries and a little orange juice. You'll get great refreshing drink.

The leaves of broccoli

These leaves are a triple win because they are rich in vitamin A, vitamin C and calcium. Cut them off and put in a pan with other vegetables and the rest of the broccoli.

Top of the celery

Believe it or not, these leaves are very tasty and full of magnesium, which helps build muscleс, they contain calcium which will strengthen bones, and vitamin C. Prepare it as any other leafy vegetables and add them to chicken soup or vegetable soup.

Orange zest

You already know that it smells great, but you probably did not know that it is rich in fiber, which beneficially affect your digestive tract, and the vitamin C which will lift immunity. It'll be the best if grated over chicken or fish.

Stalks from Swiss chard

If you run into Swiss chard with a violet-red stalks, know that it is rich in carotenoids that act as antioxidants which are real fighters against diseases. They are also full of vitamin C, an important ingredient to preserve bone health. To enjoy them, cook with mushrooms and onions, and enjoy in a delicious addition.

MALIDZANO - MACEDONIAN PEPPER AND EGGPLANT SPREAD

Malidzano is a very popular red peppers and eggplants delicacy in Macedonia, it's almost popular as Macedonian ajvar. Combined with fresh bread and white cheese is definitely the best. We usually prepare it in the autumn and eat it through the winter period.

Ingredients:

  • 6 kg red peppers (or green peppers)
  • 10 eggplants 
  • 800 g oil
  • 50 g alcohol vinegar
  • 1 tbs mustard
  • less then 1 handful sugar
  • salt to taste (about 1 tbs)

Preparation:

  1. Bake and peel peppers. Leave to drain then grind in a meat grinding machine.
  2. Bake, peel and grind eggplants.
  3. Put grind peppers and eggplants to fry and add oil. Fry for 45 minutes until it starts to boil.
  4. Then add the vinegar, mustard and sugar. Add salt to taste and leave to cook a little while.
  5. Collect in warm jars while still hot and close lids well.
Enjoy!

 

MACEDONIA - THE CHEAPEST DESTINATION IN EUROPE

According to the Swedish  daily newspaper “Dagens Nyheter”, Macedonia is the cheapest destination in Europe. This is one of the reasons why you should come to visit this hidden pearl on the Balkan Peninsula.
Macedonia is followed by Bulgaria, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, as well as Poland and Romania, where the prices are also relatively low, the daily writes. Among the most expensive countries are Switzerland and Norway.

Most of the people who decide to spend their summer holiday in Macedonia, choose Ohrid as their destination. You'll have a beautiful, natural and clean lake for bathing, beautiful modern beaches, old city which had 365 churches in the past, with great architecture, many cultural manifestations, great food and friendly people.

MAFIZHES (IVA'S RIBBON COOKIES)

This recipe is very old, Macedonian, from the south-eastern part of my country. It was shared by one wonderful lady named Vesna, who I asked if I can share it and promote it here on Macedonian Cuisine. You can also read it in Macedonian here It is translated as it was originally written - with lots of love.

Mifizhes or mafizhes (мифиже, мафиже) are ribbon cookies that marked our childhood. It was a great joy when my mother prepared them. Somehow with time, she stopped making them so the recipe was not recorded in the notebooks. My mother says, they are easy and fast to prepare and therefore they were not written down, but 50 years have passed since then. These cookies were popular in the sixties and seventies and probably before. The recipe is updated, but still with original taste as in the paste.


Ingredients:

  • 500 g flour (or as needed)
  • 1 dry yeast
  • 250 ml milk
  • 80 g butter or lard
  • 80 g sour cream
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 vanilla (10 g)
  • a pinch of salt
  • oil as needed
  • 2-3 tbs powdered sugar for dusting

Preparation:

  1. Put yeast into lukewarm milk to reach.
  2. Sieve flour in a bowl, add all the ingredients except the oil and sugar and knead dough which shouldn't be sticky, add more flour if needed.
  3. The dough should rest for 20 minutes.Then roll out a thin crust, cut squares or rectangles and make a ribbon form as in pics (press the middle with your fingers).
  4. Fry at medium heat in more oil and rollover several times.When ready, sprinkle with powdered sugar. I recommend to combine ribbons with  your favorite jam. These delicious cookies are a great joy for children and guests.

Enjoy!

PIZZA BREAD

I prepared this pizza bread today, I had an old bread I bought 2 days ago and I though why don't I use it to make a little different pizza creation. It turned out AWESOME!

Ingredients:
  • stale bread
  • cheese
  • white cheese
  • olives
  • butter
  • oregano
  • ham salami
Preparation:
  1. Cut bread in pieces, but don't cut through. 
  2. Add pieces of cheese, ham and white cheese between slices.
  3. Put some butter in between and on top.
  4. Add chopped olives between slices.
  5. Add some oregano (I used wild oregano).
  6. Wrap bread in aluminium foil.
  7. Put to bake in a preheated oven for about 15 minutes at 200 C. Remove foil and bake for another several minutes.
  8. That's it.
Enjoy!

SASSY WATER - FOR FLAT BELLY AND REFRESHMENT

This refreshing drink is a total hit in Macedonia nowadays. Especially women went crazy for the sassy water and all I hear is a positive feedback from everyone who tried it.


Preparing is easy and the taste is awesomely refreshing. One dosage is for one day. 

Ingredients:
  • 1.5-2 liters of water
  • 1 teaspoon ginger (or half handful fresh grated ginger)
  • 1 cucumber (medium size) - cut into slices
  • 1 lemon - cut into slices
  • fresh mint or 1 teaspoon dried mint.
Preparation:
  1. Mix everything and place mixture a glass or a plastic container to stand in the refrigerator. Don't keep it in a metal container. 
  2. Leave overnight and drink throughout the next day.
Other lighter variation of this recipe is this (for 8 days):
  • 8 large glasses of water
  • 1 tbs ginger (or a handful fresh grated ginger)
  • 1 large cucumber cut into slices
  • 2-3 lemons cut into slices
  • fresh mint or dried mint 
Leave overnight, drain and drink 1 glass in the morning on an empty stomach. Keep in refrigerator.
 

Ѕou can lose several kg in a month! Water also reducеs the volume of your belly and you'll see results in several days. It's better to prepare sassy water with fresh ingredients. Before use, wash well lemons, it's better to leave them in water with 1 tsp soda bicarbonate for at least one hour to neutralize the pesticides in the zest. If you don't peel the cucumbers, put them in the same water with the lemons. For better results, I recommend you to avoid bread and eat moderately. Remain active and keep being physically active, so you'll strengthen your muscles too.

Attention: Sassy water is not recommended for pregnant women and women during lactation, nor for people who have stomach problems or people allergic to any of the listed ingredients.

WATERMELON - NATURAL AND TASTY SUMMER REFRESHMENT

There is nothing better than a slice of juicy watermelon on a sunny day! Watermelons are my favorite refreshment during hot summer days.
Did you know that besides watermelon is too delicious, it's also incredibly good for our health and body?

Here are a few reasons why we should eat more watermelon this summer.

Watermelon is an important source of antioxidants - Lycopene which is found in tomatoes, apricots and grapefruit maintain the health of our heart, and has a stake in the fight against cancer, prevents breast cancer and prostate cancer.

Watermelon works like viagra - Citrulline that watermelon contains, relaxes blood vessels in the same way as Viagra and it is good for the arteries.

Watermelon contains lots of vitamins that are good for our immunity, eye health and our brain.

Watermelon is an excellent source of potassium which helps in the functioning of muscles and nerves, and helps in decreasing the risk of high blood pressure.

Dehydration - Watermelon contains 92 % of water, which is an excellent source of liquid in the summer, hot days.

Watermelon is also an excellent herb for those trying to lose a few kilos, because even though it contains sugar, it is almost non-fat.

BAKED POTATOES WITH EGGS, YOGURT AND CHEESE

This was an experimental dish that I first tried couple of days ago. I put to bake potatoes and I thought why don't I add something to make them more interesting and they turned out great!

Ingredients:
  • 1 or 1,5 kg potatoes (I used young potatoes)
  • 3-4 eggs (I used natural eggs from the village)
  • 1 cup yogurt
  • grated cheese
  • salt
Preparation:
  1. Peel and cut potatoes in pieces. Put in a baking pan, add salt and oil and put to bake at 250 C degrees.
  2. Before the end of baking, mix eggs and yogurt, add salt to taste and pour potatoes with the prepared mixture.
  3. Add grated cheese above and return to bake for 10 more minutes.
Enjoy!

LENTIL STEW

Lentil stew is something I don't cook often, but it's really healthy because lentils are full of iron. I usually cook this stew when I don't have much time for cooking and I always keep a box with lentils in my kitchen. My dosage is 2 full plates per serving :)


Ingredients:

  • 1 small cup lentils
  • 100 g chopped leeks
  • 2-3 chopped carrots
  • 1 tablespoon tomato puree
  • chopped garlic
  • 1 chopped potato
  • 1 tsp red pepper
  • salt and freshly ground pepper
  • cooking oil

Preparation:

  1. Put the chopped leeks to fry on the same oil in a pot. Add salt and black pepper and fry until the leeks is completely soft. Add 1 spoon of tomato puree and stir. Add chopped garlic.
  2. Pour water and add lentils and chopped carrots and potato. Occasionally add water if necessary.
  3. In the end, add cold roux one tablespoon of red ground pepper fried on some oil. If you don't want to add roux this way, just add red pepper in the beginning. Add in stew and mix, cook a bit to thicken, then remove pot from fire.
  4. Combine with white cheese and olives.
Enjoy!

DELICIOUS CHICKEN CASSEROLE WITH RICE, MUSHROOMS AND TOPPING (PILESKA TAVA)

This is one of the best chicken casseroles in the world! The combination of the ingredients is great and it tastes awesome! It just melts in your mouth. This recipe is for whole chicken, but you can also use chicken steak instead. I'm not a mushroom lover and I don't usually add mushrooms to be honest, I once experienced a bad mushroom allergy and since then I avoid them, but the original recipe is with mushrooms and people who tried it say that it's better with than without them, so I'll stick to that recipe here.

Ingredients:

  • 1 chicken
  • 3 cups of chicken water
  • 1 onion
  • 500 g mushrooms
  • 1 cup rice (250 ml cup)
  • mixed spices (vegeta), salt, black pepper, paprika

    • 200-300 g cheese
    • 1 sour cream
    • 3 eggs

    Preparation:
    chicken casserole

    1. Boil chicken, remove bones and cut meat. Keep water in the pot.
    2. Fry chopped onion in a pan, then add sliced ​​mushrooms. 
    3. When mushrooms are fried, add rice, spices, salt, black pepper and red pepper, fry for 5 minutes and add water from the pot where the chicken was cooking. 
    4. Pour in a pan and bake for 5-10 minutes at 220 C degrees.
    5. When you take it out, add chopped chicken and put to bake for 10 more minutes. 
    6. Then add 200-300 g of grated cheese, mix cream with 3 eggs and pour on top and again put to bake for 10-15 min.
    7. Serve with fresh lettuce salad.


    Enjoy!

    ALSHAR MINE - THE ONLY HABITAT OF THALLIUM IN THE WORLD

    There is no Macedonian who has not heard of the mine Alshar on the mountain Kozuf near the Macedonian - Greek border close to the village of Maidan. This mine is known worldwide because it is the only habitat of thallium in the world and a potential "goldmine" of environmentally clean energy.
    Lorandite

    Alshar is a mine on the mountain Kozuf where was first discovered thallium mineral lorandite. Today's name of mine is the acronym of the first letters of the names of people who were guiding the mine in the first half of the 20th century: Alattin, French banking family and Sharto, a mining engineer.

    In 1986, the Yugoslav government started the project "Lorex" which involved a dozen scientific institutions from Slovenia, Croatia and Macedonia. After the breakup of Yugoslavia, all activities around the mine stopped.

    Alshar is the only habitat of thallium in the world. Thallium is a gray solid metal and it's toxic. It's used in the electronic industry and for making glass. It is also used in rat poisons and insecticides. Lorandite or arsenic thallium sulphate (TlAsS2) is a mineral and was first found in Alshar. It's got its name in a honor of the Hungarian scientist Loránd. Lorandite is a rare mineral that is considered that it could bring people to free energy.

    It is thought that it can be only found in Macedonia and perhaps in Sri Lanka. In 1978 was held a secret meeting of the government of Yugoslavia where it was discussed whether the mine Alshar should be left to NASA to conduct research that allegedly would use Lorandite for cosmos researches.

    The lorandite serves to detect, to locate the neutrino, which has a direct lineage from the Sun and can be find only here on the entire planet. Thallium in Alshar and hence the neutrino, according to its quantity, is a global, planetary rarity. If you manage to separate neutrino from thallium, our planetary science will understand the processes by which energy is generated in the sun.

    Alshar mine is located three hundred meters away from the small village of Maidan, in the Municipality of Konopiste. In its interior is entered through eight wide open pits in the ground.

    There, for more than five thousand years is digged gold, thallium, crystals of lorandite, antimony which serves for alloying of heavy weapons and other minerals that are found only in this mine. Two of the eight open pits are long six thousand meters which today are very damaged.

    World famous geologists call this mine the best held secret of our planet. Some valued it as the biggest secret of mankind, because allegedly its' bowels allegedly hid the secret of the origin of the universe and the solar system!

    Since 2004, the mine was registered as a monument of nature and part of the network of "Emerald" - a network for protection of natural rarities.

    In "Alshar" were registered dozens of kinds of minerals. 7 of them were only found in Macedonia, and the most significant is considered - Lorandite.

    Because of this, Macedonian experts were also involved in the experiment for replacing of fossil fuels to the production of environmentally clean energy.

    These surveys are expected to show how to create the energy of the sun and that the base is creating a new powerful energy source, corresponding to that of the sun.

    This means that it could produce the so-called "small suns", which would replace nuclear power plants, not radioactive. "Alshar" was also examined by the best universities in Prague, Vienna, Budapest and they found previously unknown minerals.

    250,000 tons of ore contain 2% arsenic, 2.5% antimony and 0.1%, thallium making this mine the richest mine and the only habitat of thallium in the world, which can be used for space research and telecommunications technologies.

    That's our unique and beautiful MACEDONIA!

    BAKED BREAD WITH EGGS AND MILK (NO FRYING)

    This was the first time I was preparing baked stale bread slices with eggs, I usually fry them but I wanted to try a healthier version and I was thrilled how they turned out. I'm definitely switching from frying to baking from now on. I used eggs from the village, that's why they turned out more yellow :)

    Ingredients:
    •     7-8 slices of bread
    •     5-6 eggs
    •     150 ml milk or yogurt
    •     salt to taste
    •     olive oil

    Preparation:

    1. Cut bread into slices thick as thumb. 
    2. Place eggs in a bowl and mix with fork or wire. Add salt.  Slowly add the milk, 1 egg - 50 ml milk.
    3. Mix all well until mixture becomes pale yellow.
    4. Add 3-4 tbs olive oil and mix well. If you don't put oil in the mixture, bread will turn out dry and crunchy.
    5. Preheat oven at 250 C degrees.
    6. Deep each slice of bread in the mixture on both sides and immediately put on a pan coated with baking paper.
    7. Bake at 200 C degrees for 20-30 minutes or until slightly flushed. 
    8. Serve with yogurt and cheese for breakfast or dinner. I serve them with white cheese and tomatoes.


    Enjoy!

    HOMEMADE RASPBERRY ICECREAM (2 recipes)

    Take advantage of the raspberry season and enjoy homemade ice cream, for which preparation you'll need less than half an hour. These raspberries were picked from my garden. You can also replace raspberries with other berries like strawberries. This is an egg-free recipe.



    Ingredients:
    • 500 g of fresh raspberries
    • 5 tbs powdered sugar  
    • 2 tbs honey
    • 1 tbs lemon juice
    • 200 ml heavy cream
    • 200 ml milk
    • two bags of vanilla sugar (20 g)
    Preparation:
    1. Wash raspberries, then 450 g mix in a blender. In the resulting pulp add sugar, honey and lemon juice.  
    2. Whisk cream with a mixer, add milk, vanilla sugar, mashed raspberries and mix until smooth.  
    3. Pour in plastic boxes for freezing and add the remaining raspberries. 
    4.  Kept cool in the freezer.
    Enjoy! 


    Ingredients:

    • 1  bag whipping cream
    • 200 ml milk
    • 1 cup sour cream or sour milk
    • 1 cup sugar
    • 1 cup of raspberries

    Preparation:
    1. Whip milk and whipping cream till foamy.
    2. Mix sour cream, sugar and raspberries in a blender and then mix the mixture with the whipped cream.
    3. Place the ice cream to freeze.


    DUHOVDEN (DESCENT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT)

    Duhovden or Pentecost is among the major holidays of the Lord. Popularly, it's known by many names, such as Duovden, Doedni, Holy Spirit, Holy Trinity, Pentecost (pedesetnica), etc. It's celebrated ten days after Ascension (Ascension) and fifty days after Easter (Resurrection).

    It's called Pentecost and not just because it is celebrated fifty days after Easter but also because the event occurred exactly on the Jewish feast of Pentecost when Jews honored the memory of the day when the Lord gave Moses the 10 commandments at Mount Sinai.

    This holiday is usually associated with the souls of the dead, and customs that are performed on this day are connected with those beliefs.

    Pentecost is a Christian holiday dedicated to the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and the establishment of the Church.

    On this day Christ fulfilled the promise of the coming of the Holy Spirit (the Spirit of Truth, the Comforter, the power from above, the promise of the Father) which Christ gave them by ordering the apostles not to be far away from Jerusalem when it happens.

    On this day Christ's apostles were clothed with the power of the Holy Spirit and fully qualified to be the body of Christ on Earth.

    On this day apostles having received the Holy Spirit, and transformed from civic association into Christ Church.

    On this day the disciples were transformed from confused and frightened disciples in skilled, loyal to the death of Christ and courageous preachers with exceptional clarity and deep understanding of Christ's gospel message.

    On this day  around 3000 people were baptized by Peter's sermon, and  the first Christian Church was famously formed

    Therefore, this day is called the birthday of Christ Church.

    On this day, people in Macedonia, shouldn't visit the graves of their loved ones and distribute food for their souls, because Duhovden is a feast that celebrates life.

    RICE PUDDING WITH COCONUT MILK (SUTLIJASH)

    This is a little different version of rice pudding. It's great if you're lactose intolerant or you're in the lent period. The coconut milk gives even a better taste,which makes me wonder which version I prefer more.


     
    Ingredients:
    • ½ cup rice 
    • 1 ½ cup water
    • 2 tablespoons sugar
    • 300-350 ml coconut milk   
     ***1 cup is 250 ml

    Preparation:
    1. Put rice and water to boil on a high heat. 
    2. When mixture boils, lower the temperature, cover with a lid and continue cooking for 10 minutes. 
    3. Then add sugar and coconut milk and continue cooking with occasional stirring, until the rice is soft and has soaked up the liquid. Don't make it too dry, it should be pretty liquid before pouring in dishes because it hardens later. 
    4. Pour in small bowls. When serving sprinkle cinnamon or chopped nuts, if desired. For even stronger taste, sprinkle coconut on top.
    Enjoy!

    GREEN PEAS STEW

    This is one of the most eaten stews in Macedonia, the green peas stew. Preparing is easy, you can use fresh beans, beans from a can or frozen, though I never use beans from a can. No matter in what state are your beans, the preparation is the same. If you use frozen beans (like I did here), add them frozen, don't defrost first. You can prepare this stew with meat or without, your choice.


    Ingredients:
    • 1 kg peas
    • 2-3 chopped carrots
    • 1 larger chopped potato (optional)
    • 5 tbs tomato sauce
    • onion
    • parsley
    • salt or Vegeta, oil, red pepper  
    Preparation:
    1. Fry onion in a little oil, then add the peas, chopped carrots and potato (optional). If you're preparing this dish with meat, then, fry chopped meat together with onion first, fry till it gets some color, then add other ingredients as follows. 
    2. Add 1 teaspoon red pepper, 1 flat tbs Vegeta and water to cover the beans.
    3. I add potato in almost every stews to thicken the liquid.
    4. Boil till soften and add tomato sauce in the end. Check if meat is ready. Add parsley and boil for another several minutes.
    Enjoy! 

    PEACHES - COOKIES FROM CHILDHOOD

    Peaches are cookies that my mother regularly prepared when I was a kid. They are basically consisted of baked biscuits glued with jam, then colored and eaten of course :) I prefer to leave them to stay overnight before eating. These are delicious and charming cookies for all generations.

    Ingredients:

    • 2 eggs
    • 200 g sugar
    • 100 g melted fat (or butter)
    • ½ bag baking powder (5 g)
    • 350 g flour
    • 5 tablespoons of jam
    • granulated sugar
    • rum or rum extract 
    • edible color (yellow and red)

    Preparation:

    1. Mix eggs with sugar and melted fat.
    2. Mix flour and baking powder separately.
    3. Combine everything and knead until dough doesn't stick to your fingers anymore.
    4. Create a square form, then cut in smaller cubes with equal size. From each cube form balls with the size of walnuts.
    5. Arrange on a baking paper.
    6. Put to bake in a preheated oven at 200 C degrees for about 13-15 minutes, don't worry if they become a little browned. 
    7. When cool, hollow out each piece and mix crumbs with ¼ jars of jam, add 50 ml rum (or rum extract the appropriate amount, it's better for children), mix well and charge hollowed holes and glue the two half-balls.
    8. Pour a little water in one cup, add yellow edible color and in other cup with water add red edible color. Depending on how strong color we want, the less water we add and vice versa. Coat peaches with color using a brush and leave for few minutes to be a little dry, or when only a little damp, roll them in crystal sugar (if you want to prime them more sugar, then immediately roll in sugar while still wet). You can also just dip them in color. but do that carefully. Or you can use only one red color and put some only in the middle of both sides. Experiment! Thus continue with the rest of the peaches.
    Enjoy!

    FAMOUS REFORM CAKE (REFORM TORTA)

    When you say cake, I imagine something like this - the reform cake. Reform cake is a real classic!  If you haven't tried it yet, now it's really the time for that! It's so fluffy and mouth melting, some even call it the queen among cakes.

    Ingredients:
    For biscuit:
    • 12 egg whites 
    • 12 tablespoons of sugar
    • 3 tablespoons flour 
    • 300 g of crushed walnuts 
    For filling:
    • 12 egg yolks
    • 10 tablespoons sugar 
    • 250 g butter 
    • 100 g cooking chocolate 
    Preparation:
    1. Beat egg whites with sugar until firm..
    2. Heat oven to 180 C degrees. 
    3. Mix in ground nuts and flour, gently stir with a spoon.
    4. Pour mixture in a pan previously coated with baking paper.
    5. Bake for about 15-20 minutes (check with a toothpick if it's ready).
    6. While still warm, remove baking paper, leave to cool well, then divide in 3 equal parts.
    7. Beat egg yolks in a deeper bowl and gradually add 10 tablespoons sugar. When the mixture becomes thick and slightly yellowish, transfer it into a pot and cook it to steam about 17-18 minutes, by stirring constantly.
    8. Mix butter with a mixer separately, then add the melted chocolate. Mix well, then add the egg yolks mixture while it is still warm. (but not boiling).
    9. Leave filling to cool down, then apply on cake. You can spray some milk over each biscuit before placing the filling.
    10. Decorate with chocolate topping or as desired.
    11. Cut in cubes or classic cake pieces before serving.
    Enjoy!

    CABBAGE STEW

    This is one of my favorite stews, cabbage stew. Preparing is easy, you'll only lose some time in chopping the cabbage. It's one of the cheapest lunches one can cook.

    Ingredients:
    • 1 kg cabbage
    • 2-3 carrots
    • 1 chopped pepper (optional)
    • tomato sauce or ketchup
    • onion
    • parsley
    • salt, mixed spices, oil, red pepper  
    Preparation:
    1. Chop cabbage in thin slices.. 
    2. Fry onion in a little oil, add chopped pepper and fry till soft, add 1 teaspoon pepper and water, then add the chopped cabbage and chopped carrots. Optionally, add some rice or potato.
    3. Boil till soften and add tomato sauce or ketchup in the end. Add parsley, salt and mixed spices and boil for another several minutes.
    Enjoy!

    HOMEMADE CHERRY JUICE (SYRUP)

    Homemade is the best! I prepare this syrup concentrate before warm days arrive. It's great for refreshing and for cooling. The only drawback is the cleaning process. I use small handy machine for cleaning cherries, but it removes seeds one at the time. So you need patience and time to make this refreshing drink.

    Ingredients:
    • 3 kg cherries
    • 1,5 l water
    • 2 kg sugar
    • 3 packs of citric acid in a powder, one is 8 g, we call it "limontus"
    Preparation:
    1. Clean cherries from seeds, add water and citric acid. Leave cherries soaked in water for 24 hours. 
    2. The next day, after 24 hours, drain and blend cherries with a mixer or a blender.
    3. Put blended cherries in a deep pot with the drained liquid, then add sugar. Leave mixture to boil for ten minutes after it starts boiling.
    4. Pour hot syrup into hot bottles, leave to cool and then close the bottles well.
    5. This amount is enough for the whole summer.
    6. How to use it? Dissolve some cherry syrup in cold water and drink it. If it's not very sweet, add some more juice or if it's too sweet, add more water.
    Enjoy!

    BAKED TULUMBI FROM OVEN

    As I promised before, here's a recipe for baked tulumbi. I couldn't find  any difference in taste compared to fried homemade tulumbi, this is a healthier alternative and easier, you'll see. When you try this version, I guarantee you'll never fry tulumbi again.

    Ingredients:
    For sherbet:


    • 1 kg of sugar
    • 900 ml water
    • 3 bags of vanilla sugar (30 g totally)
    For the dough:
    • 1 l water
    • 600 g flour type 400 - soft
    • 2 tbs sugar
    • 6 eggs
    • a pinch of salt
    • 300 ml of oil
    • 1 baking powder (10 g)
    Preparation:

    1. Put to boil water, sugar, a pinch of salt and oil. When it starts boiling, remove from stove and while hot add  flour and the baking powder. 
    2. Mix everything well and allow to cool. 
    3. When cooled, add eggs one by one and mix with a mixer. 
    4. When mixed fine, put dough in a mold for tulumbi and extrude from the mold tulumbi on a baking paper in a pan.
    5. Leave tulumbi to stand for 1 hour in the refrigerator.
    6. Preheat oven and bake at 180 C degrees for 30 minutes. DO NOT OPEN OVEN WHILE BAKING.
    7. Prepare sherbet in a meanwhile. Boil sugar, water and vanilla. When sherbet starts to boil, reduce the heat and let it boil  slowly for 15 minutes. 
    8. Pour cooled syrup over cooled tulumbi.
    9. Gently turn tulumbi in on the other side the syrup, and immediately remove with a slatted spoon in a pan. Prepare other tulumbi the same way until you spend all ingredients!
    Enjoy!

    BAKED DONUTS FROM OVEN

    This is the best recipe for donuts from the oven, healthier than fried ones and tasty just the same! Remember to get out the fridge all ingredients that you keep in cold a couple of hours before you start preparing the dough.

    Ingredients:
    • 600 g purpose flour for rising the dough (if available)
    • 150 g sugar
    • 5 eggs
    • 120 ml milk
    • 150 g of melted butter
    • 1 cube of fresh yeast - 25g
    • 1 vanilla sugar 10 g
    • a pinch of salt
    • jam filling or optional
    • powdered sugar
    Preparation:
    1. Crumble cube of yeast in a warm milk and add a spoon of sugar, set aside to foam.
    2. Melt butter and cool down a bit.
    3. Add flour, sugar, vanilla sugar, melted butter in a larger bowl. Mix with attachments for dough with a mixer, start kneading adding the eggs one by one and the milk. Add a bit of salt in the end. Leave the dough to rest in warm and to grow. If the dough is too soft, feel free to add a few more tablespoons of flour
    4. Preheat oven to 180 ° C.
    5. Get 2 baking trays and coat with baking paper.
    6. Spread risen dough on flour sprinkled work surface and stretch dough only slightly by hand to 3-4 cm thickness (don't make it thin). Using a glass cut circles and align on a baking sheet, knead again the remaining dough and repeat the process. Leave enough space between so they won't stick while baking.
    7. Leave doughnuts covered in warm to rest and to grow until they double their size, then put to bake 15-20 minutes until they get a fine color.
    8. Cool ready donuts a little and charge to taste. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

    SYRUP FROM YOUNG WALNUTS IN HONEY - GRANDMA'S RECIPE FOR HEALTH

    Young green walnuts in honey - amazing cure for many health conditions. This is a recipe that is very old and it's been prepared in my family for many years. My grandma used to make it, than my mom and now me. My mom used to give us 1 tbs in the morning every day when we were kids. We all had problems with sore throats and tonsillitis and this helped a lot. It saved me from removing my tonsils when I was a kid.
     
    Ingredients:
    • 1 kg of honey
    • 40 young green walnuts
    Preparation:
    1. First pick nuts with a length of about 1-1,5 cm. It's the best to find a tree that grows in the clean environment, where air, water and soil are not polluted. Wash and dry walnuts.
    2. Put them in a jar and pour with honey. Close well jar and leave it in a light spot, but do not expose it to direct sunlight.
    3. Every ten days, open the lid to air out the air which is a product of fermentation and stir the syrup.
    4. After 40 days, strain the liquid and remove small nuts which are already dark and dry. Honey will darken and will become more liquid.
    5. Take 1 tbs in the morning.
    It's worth noting that it's the best to wear gloves during chopping the walnuts, because they emit black tint and then it's hard to wash your hands.
    Young walnuts dipped in honey release a large amount of iodine which is easily absorbed in the body.
    Young green nuts contain a lot of vitamin C and a whole wealth of vitamins and it's good for patients that suffer from anemia and for sickly children. This syrup also  has a positive effect in purifying the liver, stomach and blood.

    It's good with problems in the functioning of the thyroid gland, throat diseases and respiratory tract especially in bronchitis, it's great for increasing immunity, suitable for climacteric complaints, obesity, and chronic respiratory disease, in establishing physical, mental and energy balance, increased hormonal activity, helps restore the cells, neutralizes the action of toxins.

    FRIED PEPPERS WITH RICOTTA AND EGGS

    One of the most beautiful summer foods! I love everything that's combined with peppers - like a real Macedonian right? :) This dish is easy to prepare and light for your stomach, I ate 3 of these peppers and I don't feel heavy at all. I used a homemade ricotta cottage cheese which I buy from a farmer and I also used eggs from the village, not from the store. I bought peppers from our vegetable market, beautiful and naturally grown.


    Ingredients:
    • 7 peppers
    • 250 g ricotta cheese
    • 3 eggs
    Preparation:
    1. Wash and clean peppers from seeds (of course remove the handles).
    2. Add 2-3 eggs to the cheese and mix. Add salt if necessary.
    3. Fill peppers with this mixture and you can close peppers with pieces of tomatoes.
    4. Put to fry on a medium heat until golden brown and soft. I used olive oil for frying.
    5. Combine with fresh salad and fresh bread.

    Enjoy!